scopus-mcp

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Citation Overview

citation_overview

Read-onlyIdempotent

Retrieve yearly citation counts and summaries for Scopus documents by Scopus ID, DOI, PII, or PubMed ID. Supply one identifier type with comma-separated values for multiple documents in one request.

Instructions

Retrieve yearly citation counts and summaries for Scopus documents. Supply one native document identifier type, with comma-separated values for multiple documents. Returns the original Elsevier JSON in one request. Citation Overview access must be enabled for your API key.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`doi`	No	One or more comma-separated DOIs. Supply exactly one document identifier type.
`pii`	No	One or more comma-separated publication item identifiers. Supply exactly one document identifier type.
`ver`	No	Requested Elsevier resource version.
`date`	No	Year or inclusive year range for citation counts, e.g. 2024 or 2020-2024.
`sort`	No	One sort field: sort-year or rowTotal. Prefix with + for ascending or - for descending; no prefix means ascending.
`view`	No	Citation Overview supports only the STANDARD view.
`count`	No	Maximum number of results. Elsevier determines the default and maximum from your API service level.
`field`	No	Comma-separated native response fields to include. Omit to use the full STANDARD view.
`reqId`	No	Caller-supplied request identifier for tracing this request with Elsevier support.
`start`	No	Zero-based result offset; Elsevier defaults to zero when omitted.
`citation`	No	Exclude self-citations or book citations; Elsevier includes all citations when omitted.
`author_id`	No	Comma-separated author IDs whose citations should be excluded. Ignored when citation is exclude-books.
`pubmed_id`	No	One or more comma-separated PubMed IDs. Supply exactly one document identifier type.
`scopus_id`	No	One or more comma-separated Scopus document IDs. Supply exactly one document identifier type.

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`abstract-citations-response`	Yes	Native Elsevier Citation Overview response. Counts and years remain strings; requested fields may be omitted or null.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Addedv0.5.1Oct 6, 2026

TDQS

A4/5.0

Behavior4/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already declare readOnly, idempotent, non-destructive, open-world behavior, so the safety profile is covered. The description adds genuinely useful context beyond that: it is a read that returns the original Elsevier JSON in a single request, and it requires an access entitlement on the API key.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Three sentences, each earning its place: purpose, input convention, and prerequisite/return note. The core purpose is front-loaded and there is no filler.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness4/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

An output schema exists, so return values need not be explained, and annotations cover safety. The description adds the entitlement prerequisite and identifier rule, leaving only minor gaps (pagination/sorting behavior) that the schema itself fully documents.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 100%, so all 14 parameters (including sort, citation, date, count, start) are already documented in the schema. The description only restates the one-identifier-type constraint and comma-separated convention that the schema already carries, adding no new parameter meaning.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

Specific verb (retrieve) plus specific resource (yearly citation counts and summaries for Scopus documents). It is clearly distinguishable from the metric-adjacent sibling plumx_metrics and the search/retrieval siblings, which operate on authors, affiliations, and search results rather than citation counts.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines3/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

States the input convention (one native identifier type, comma-separated for multiples) and a real prerequisite (Citation Overview access must be enabled for the API key). However, it never says when to prefer this over plumx_metrics or any sibling, and offers no exclusions or failure-mode guidance.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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